Kentucky guards stole the spotlight on Friday night at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Inside the Thomas & Mack Center, former Kentucky guard Koby Brea scored 19 on 7-of-10 shooting to lead all Phoenix scorers and lift the Suns to a 103-84 rout of the Washington Wizards. Down the hall, Reed Sheppard was torching the Los Angeles Clippers and trying to drag his Houston Rockets to a victory with a game-high 28 points.
Sheppard, a second-year guard for the Rockets, was unable to lead his team to a win. The Rockets lost 95-92 in a down-to-the-wire affair. But it wasn’t for lack of trying. Sheppard led his team in minutes played (33) and field goals (10-of-25). He made 6 of his 15 attempts from 3-point range while the rest of his team combined to shoot 5-for-18. Sheppard had 8 rebounds to lead all Rockets players, 4 assists to tie for the team lead, 4 steals to tie for the team lead, and 3 blocked shots to tie for the team lead.
Perhaps the former No. 3 pick doesn’t need to be in Summer League. He lit the building up last year as a rookie and wasted no time reacquainting himself with the Vegas crowd on Friday night.
In his first season with the Rockets, Sheppard saw a reduced role. He played in 52 games while seeing 12.6 minutes a night. He averaged just 4.4 points and shot 33.8% from the 3-point line. With Houston pushing to contend during the 2025-26 season, Sheppard is in a unique spot. Maybe another sterling Sumer League showing can propel him into a second-year leap.
With the Suns, Brea is trying to stick. He was drafted with the 41st overall pick by the Golden State Warriors and dealt to Phoenix. He initially signed with the Suns on a 2-way deal that will see him split time between Phoenix and the Valley Suns — Phoenix’s G League affiliate. But with the Suns dealing Kevin Durant this offseason and working through a sticky roster situation, finding cheap, young talent that can contribute will go a long way.
More performances like Friday night will give Brea a chance. Brea knocked in his first 3 and went on to shoot 4-of-5 from downtown to help power the Suns. He led 5 players in double-figures while adding 3 rebounds and a steal.
“Finally living the dream,” Brea said after the game. “It’s always good to see the first one fall. You know you’re going to have a good day.”
Both the Rockets and the Suns play again on Sunday. Phoenix faces the Atlanta Hawks at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. Houston plays Detroit at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
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Former Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard, Koby Brea pop off in NBA Summer League Saturday Down South.
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